Can You Protect Me?
by hyde1403
Summary: Voldemort is defeated after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Harry comes into a creature inheritance and finds out that he has not one, but two mates. Will they be able to protect him from anything else happening to him? Will they be what he needs to flourish and lives happily? Live!Sirius, threesome, creature!fic, mpreg.
1. Chapter 1

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: this story will be slash, mpreg, creature!fic, and a threesome story. This contains creature free-form writing, please keep that in mind while reading._

_So this is a story I've actually been working on for awhile now. Its been published on AO3, you can go check it out under same title and author name. It got really good reviews there, so I decided to share with you all! This does not mean I am neglecting my other stories. I write so many because if I'm stuck on one story, I have others that need attention too. Let me know what you all think._

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Harry glanced at his clock nervously. 11:59. One more minute to go. One more minute until he could leave the Dursleys. Harry knew he was told to stay here until the summer was over and he went to finish his last year at Hogwarts, but he had already made a plan with Remus and Sirius. They would not pick him up tonight, that would be too suspicious. Instead they were going to come for him the following night and take him back to Grimmauld. They had used the mirror Sirius gave Harry to construct their plan and no one had come by to change or check the wards, so they knew their plan was still a secret. Even though Harry would not be leaving until the following night, once it hit midnight, Harry would be able to perform magic finally and fight back against his relatives. This summer had been like any other. He was given chores and duties that were more tiresome than a house-elf's duty, with the occasional 'disciplinary' actions against Harry. Because Merlin knew Harry could have prevented the house from smelling like dinner, long after they ate. And to make sure he knew better than to do it again, a few cracked ribs and no food or water for three days would fix him.

Harry was about to check his clock again when suddenly he felt a searing pain move down his spine. It felt like hot iron spikes were pressing against his spine, sending shocks through his whole body. He tried to contain the scream that ripped through his chest, but the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He could combine all of the times he encountered Voldemort, including when the final battle, and it would not compare to what was wracking his body now. The pain seemed to continue for hours, but was only mere seconds before he vaguely heard yelling coming from his door. Apparently who ever came to punish him, was either afraid to come near him or unable to in some way. It did not matter to Harry as his body began to convulse suddenly. Harry believed he was going to die because who could ever live through this torture he was going through. He had to wonder as he began to lose consciousness, if somebody did come through the wards and was cursing Harry right now. He could easily believe this was the cruciatus curse.

Harry woke some time after with a dull throbbing licking down his spine into his legs. He turned on his bed, broken cot really, to look at his clock. He become uneasy as it was quite difficult to move his legs, but managed to roll over regardless. 3:27. He had been seventeen for three hours, and if the first three were anything to go by then he was in for a hell of a year. He made to swing his legs off the side of the bed, but when he had difficulty yet again he reached down to push his legs to move them. Harry stopped short when instead of skin, he felt something like scales. Quickly reaching behind him, Harry turned on the small lamp so that he could investigate what he felt. Squinting at the sudden brightness, Harry looked down at his legs and nearly screamed, but managed to contain himself this time. Instead of legs, a large fish tail was attached to his lower body. It was a dazzling silver, with blends of dark grey and white throughout. The fin was wispy and so faint Harry could make out shapes through it. It was gorgeous and mesmerizing, but it should not be there. Harry looked further up along his body to see if there were any other changes. The scales from the tail seemed to caress his torso, thinning out the further they went up. He had a few scales sparsely around his arms, and imagined the same ghostly pattern of scales continued up his neck to his face. He lifted his hands to feel his face and he could feel a few small scales lining his cheeks, he also noted that he had slightly more pointed ears than before, but not quite as defined as elves and similar creatures. He bit his lips trying to withhold his panic, but yelped when he easily bit through his lip. He ran his tongue over the puncture wounds to soothe it when he felt that changes to his mouth. It appeared that he now had small fangs. All appeared to be too much and Harry passed out falling against his bed, into a restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~Grimmauld Place~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus and Sirius had spent most of the night drinking so that they would not be tempted to leave the dark house any time that night because of being watched. He normally did not stay at Grimmaul, but with the plan to gather Harry from his relatives made him want to spend the night with his best friend. His was having trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep in because he was not used to sleeping without his mate who refused to stay at Grimmauld. Shortly before midnight, Remus had fallen into a restless sleep, but was woken up by an intense pain in his chest. It felt like a hand had reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart, he had only felt like this once before and it scared him.

"Sirius! Sirius get in here!" Remus shouted in between gasps. He looked when he heard thundering steps and his door burst open.

"Remus, what-" Sirius was cut off by Remus.

"Go get Severus, now. Bring him here," Sirius nodded once and left. Remus faintly heard the whoosh of the fire place. He tried to control his breathing through the pain, but it seemed to just keep going. It felt like it was never going to end. Although he had gone through this before, Remus never had Moony basically purr inside his head. It was finally confirmed what this sensation was when Sirius kicked open the door and helped Severus over to the bed. Remus pulled the man over so his head rested in Remus's lap. He began to growl softly in a soothing manner as he threaded his fingers through the silky black hair. Severus had wrapped his arms around Remus's waist and was crooning softly to help Remus relax as much as the almost purring sounds were doing for him.

"Remus?" Remus looked up to where he heard the quiet voice come from the doorway. He saw Sirius standing cautiously in the doorway, afraid to walk further into the room. He may not like Severus, but he respected Remus and the potions professor was his mate.

"Pull up a chair," Remus said. He watched as Sirius made slow deliberate movements, he understood Remus and Severus enough to know that in such a state he could easily anger the two creatures. Remus looked down at Severus to see the man had fallen asleep. "We received another mate," Remus stated quietly.

"Another? So late?" Remus and Severus were an odd couple already, being two different kinds of creatures. But receiving a third mate was rare, especially one so late. This third would have just gone through their inheritance.

"It is odd, but we will make it work. I wonder who it could be? It must be someone close by, the pull was very strong," Remus reflected.

"I only know of two people who would have come of age today," Sirius said off-handily. But Remus froze. Sirius was right there were only two people who would have come of age tonight. Remus looked over at Sirius with wide eyes while the animagus sat thinking to himself.

"Padfoot, you don't think," Remus trailed off as he thought about the consequences of who might be his young mate. Sirius looked over at Remus and saw the disbelief and a hint of fear. That is when he caught on to what his statement implicated.

"No! It can't be! Why would he be your mate? I don't want him near Snape!" Sirius shouted jumping up from his seat, startling Severus awake who grumbled at the rude awakening.

"Sirius you will stop this! If he is there is nothing you can do about it and I don't appreciate you insulting Severus," Remus called back loudly.

"What is going on?" Severus asked in a slightly raised voice. He was now sitting up in bed behind Remus who had moved towards the edge of the bed.

"He has been robbed of his entire life, why should he be told who to be with?" Sirius continued to yell as he paced the bedroom. It was not fair to his godson that he had no choice of mates. Sure Remus was great and totally enamored with Severus, but that did not mean he wanted his godson to be included with them. Sirius stopped his pacing when a sharp trilling noise was released.

"What is going on?!" Severus bellowed this time now standing beside the bed. He glared at both the mutt and his mate.

"We may know who our new mate is," Remus said shyly. Although he was the dominant with Severus, the man could become quite scary when angered.

"And who may that be?" Severus asked sternly.

"Well, there are only two people we know that would have come into their inheritance tonight. Its July thirty-first," Remus said, not wanting to name anyone hoping that Severus would not become out of control once he learned who they were talking about.

"Yes, I know it is the thirty-first. What does-" Severus was cut off when he remembered why that date was so significant. He looked over to Remus with wide eyes. "Surely there may have been a delay to what we felt?"

"No, I remember when you became of age. I felt the pull immediately," Remus replied.

"Then we will find out tomorrow night we you pick him up," Severus said as he sat back down on the bed, loosing himself in his thoughts. Harry Potter, it seemed, was to be their new mate. The two had apologized for both their misgivings before the term was over, and although they had called a truce it did not mean they were friends. It would be difficult for Potter- Harry- to accept that he was meant to be mates with Remus and himself. Now the mutt's outburst made much more sense.

"Severus?" Remus asked as he sat behind his mate and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He was acting quite calm at the prospect of who their mate was and it unnerved Remus.

"Potter- Harry and I talked before the end of the term and forgave each other for our misgivings and treatment towards one another. I will not say I am overly excited about the possibility, but I am willing to try. If he is our mate, then I will treat him as such," Severus spoke softly and it stunned the other two into silence.

"Shall we try to get him soon then?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I think that would be best," replied Remus. Sirius said good night and left the two mates alone. Remus laid back against the pillows and pulled Severus down. Severus tucked himself against Remus's side, his back pressed up against the warm body, with his head resting on his mate's shoulder. Both fell asleep quickly, dreaming of meeting their young mate, who had messy black hair and gem-like green eyes.

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_A/N: I currently have 9 chapters written for this story. Let me know what you all think :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: some violence and gore_

_Hello again. I was happy with the reaction to this story and glad to hear positive feedback on the pairing. It was a gamble and I'm glad others enjoy it as well. Like I stated in the previous AN, this story I have been working on longer than my others and will add chapters to catch up to what has been posted on AO3. Please keep in mind that there is OOC within this story and this chapter moves forward fast._

_Also feel free to follow me on twitter under the same name for updates or ideas that I tweet: hyde1403._

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Harry woke up to someone pounding on his door. He glanced at his clock to see that it was time for him to get up and make breakfast. There was a dull ache in his legs and back and he wondered if he had some nightmares that he had hurt himself. It was a great way to wake up on his birthday, he just hoped it did not slow him down from his chores. His birthday. He was now of age in the wizarding world and Remus and Sirius would be picking him up tonight. He just had to make it through today with his relatives, who always made his life difficult on his birthday. And then he remembered what was even more important about his birthday. Harry quickly sat up and threw back his blanket. He was relieved to see normal legs. It must have been a dream, so livid it caused the aching he felt.

Remembering he had breakfast to make, Harry got up from his bed and quickly got dressed before heading down to the kitchen on silent feet and began making breakfast. By the time the Dursley's came into the kitchen, everything was set on table with the right food on each person's plate. He stood silently in the corner waiting to be called to either refill on coffee or juice or to take away plates. Harry walked forward when he was called and ignored the surprised gasp, figuring someone was reacting to a story in the paper. However, he could not ignore when a hand suddenly grabbed his hair painfully and pulled his head up.

"What do you think you're pulling boy!?" His uncle bellowed in his face, food spittle covering him. He was shoved to the floor and when he made to get up he was kicked down again, so he decided to stay on the floor. "Room now!"

Harry scrambled to his feet and ran for his room. He did not know what he had done to deserve this, but he knew it was not good. When he got to his room, he turned to his mirror to check for any food particles before anyone came up after him. But he was stunned at the sight in his mirror. No longer did he have any a sickly paleness to him from the starvation he endured over the summer, now he had sharp cheekbones and a soft jawline that made him look highly aristocratic with porcelain smooth skin that seemed to glow. He hair was long, really long. It went down to his hips. And sticking out were two pointy ears. Did his dream really happen? He opened his mouth to find that his canine teeth were slightly elongated.

He was broken out of his gazing when his door was suddenly kicked in and his uncle stormed into the closet-like space. Harry moved back into a corner when he saw his uncle's face distorted in hatred and anger like he never saw before. Vernon rushed forward and brought his fist down hard across Harry's face causing him to crash to the floor, where Vernon continued to kick at the fallen boy.

"Think you're better than the rest of us? Tryin' to make yourself pretty for all the little boys to see? No one wants a freak like you! And I will make sure no one will never want to even shake your hand," Vernon screamed at Harry while he continued throwing his foot at every available bit he could. Harry yelped as he was grabbed by his hair again and tossed onto his bed. When he heard the sound of a belt buckle he thought that he was just going to be whipped with the belt again. He bit his tongue hard as the first blow hit across the back of his neck, he flinched not at the pain, but at the taste of blood that flooded his mouth. Harry suffered through twenty blows of his uncle's belt, he cried out each time that the belt bit into his skin. However, he did not scream until Vernon grabbed his hair and bounced his face off the wall. He begged to whoever might be listening to him to rescue him form this torment as he lost consciousness through more beatings.

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Remus and Severus were woken suddenly by sharp pains ghostly throughout their bodies. Each man groaned as they tried to decipher what the pain meant, until they heard a quiet voice inside of their minds pleading for them to find the owner of that voice. They looked at each other with wide eyes as they realized they were feeling the pain of their new mate. Remus and Severus jumped out of bed and began to hastily put clothes on.

"Sirius! Get up!" Remus called out as he finished fastening his trousers. He was panicking, what was his mate going through? Who was inflicting this pain? He started growling at the thought of someone hurting his mate. "Sirius!"

"I'll get a portkey ready in the event we need one," Remus nodded to Severus and the man quickly left the bedroom as Remus ran towards Sirius's room. His collided with that of Sirius's when the man opened his door just as Remus reached for the knob.

"What's happened?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Its our mate, something's happening," Remus replied and ran towards the stairs to get ready to apparate to Surrey.

"Harry? Oh Gods no," Remus heard Sirius mumble behind him. They gathered in the entry way where Severus was waiting anxiously for them. Sirius placed a hand on each man's shoulder because neither had been to Harry's relatives residence before and they left with a sharp crack.

They landed outside of Number four and at first they just stared stunned as they heard screams coming from within the house and all men helped break the door down. They were met by a worried Petunia, who did not even seem surprised to see them appear.

"Quickly! Up stairs, I have no idea what Vernon's doing up there," Petunia pointed towards the stairs and none of the men questioned her and ran up the stairs going to the room where they heard the screaming. Both Severus and Remus were growling now and gritting their teeth against the pain they were feeling. Sirius blasted the door opened and pulled Vernon out into the hall to allow Severus and Remus room to take care of Harry. Without any thoughts for consequences, Sirius cast the cruciatus curse against the whale of a man. After listening to the screaming for about twenty seconds, Sirius decided he wanted to take a more physical approach to punishment. He began kicking the man, stomping on various limbs breaking bones, he pulled up on greasy hair lifting the man's head where he proceeded to punch the man in the face breaking all of the delicate bones in the face. He pulled up each hand and snapped each finger, relishing in the sharp cracks and continued screams coming from the pig. As his final act, Sirius pulled out the small knife he always carried on him and swiftly castrated him, carefully avoiding getting any blood on him. He stood outside the bedroom waiting for Severus and Remus to come out.

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Remus and Severus moved into the bedroom, nervous about what they would find. The air was heavy with the smell of blood, sweat, tears, and immense fear. Automatically, Remus began growling in a soothing manner and Severus started crooning. They did not want to scare Harry any further than he already was. What they saw nearly broke their hearts. On the bed laid Harry in a small puddle of his own blood, his clothing in tatters around him face down on the small cot. Severus began to croon slightly louder as he approached their mate and stood still when he heard the whimpers. A single tear escaped his eye, hearing that whimper. It was thick with fear at feeling the new presence in the room.

"Severus, touch him with your wings. Maybe he will react better to that?" Remus asked. Severus nodded and released his pitch-black feathery wings. They rustled with the agitation that was coursing through his veins. He stretched them forward and caressed one of Harry's lightly, letting him feel the softness of feathers. He continued brushing his wing against Harry's arm trying to calm him as the whimpers grew louder. Severus pulled back when it was clear it was not working. He looked over at Remus for some help. "Sirius are you done yet?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Sirius called from the hallway, panting.

"Can you turn into Padfoot and came in here? We are having difficulties trying to calm Harry," Remus looked over to the door when he heard nails clicking against the wood floors as Padfoot slowly walked in. He began to growl at the smell of blood and at the sight if Harry. "Padfoot, stop. You'll only scare him more. Just go up and try to comfort him. He may calm down more with an animal present rather than a person."

Severus and Remus watched, strained, as Padfoot walked up to Harry and carefully placed his front paws on the side of the bed. He gave a low whine and carefully licked at Harry's arm. He looked back at Remus hearing the warning growl, all Padfoot could do in explanation was give another whine and turn towards Harry. He gave another lick and nudged Harry's arm to get a reaction. He licked at the hand that reached out to pat at his snout. Harry looked out from behind his curtain of hair through swollen eyes and tried to smile when he noticed Padfoot.

Harry whimpered again when he saw two figures looking down at him, but looked back at Padfoot when he heard the animagus give a small whine. He switched his pained gaze back up when he heard a soothing growl and crooning sound coming from the two. Something within him told Harry to trust these two even though he could not seem them through the dark room and his swollen eyes, so he fell asleep unable to stay awake through the pain anymore.

"I will meet you two back at Grimmauld. I will portkey him back," Severus said as he reached forward and crouched down by the bed and placed the blanket he used to make the portkey over Harry. He said the password and was transported back to Grimmauld.

Remus and Sirius, who had transformed back, began moving around searching for Harry's things. They didn't find much, mostly the ragged clothing in a set of drawers and were about to leave when Sirius tripped over a loose board. He lifted the board and found Harry's wand, invisibility cloak, and a photo album. Quickly gathering the items, the two moved out the room to find Petunia crying over her husband's body while their son stood not moving in a corner of the hallway. Both men sneered at the sight before moving downstairs and apparating back to Grimmauld.

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When Sirius and Remus arrived at Grimmauld, they ran up the stairs to see how Harry was doing. Remus followed his mates' scents and found the room Severus placed Harry in. Harry had been cleaned up and was beginning to heal thanks to Severus, but he still had large amounts of bruising. Severus turned around hearing the two enter the room and looked at his mate.

"Can you help me? I need someone to hold him up as I give him a few potions," Remus nodded and carefully lifted Harry and slid behind so he had a better grasp of his young mate. He watched carefully as Severus fed Harry several potions.

"What are you giving him?" Sirius asked from the doorway.

"Pain potion, nutrient potion, skele-grow, general healing potions to fight any infections," replied Severus as he continued giving potions. "I have already done many healing spells and worked some salves into his skin. I have also placed him into a healing coma so that he may heal faster. I have not learned what creature he is, so I have no idea what his healing abilities are."

"His scent reminds me of the ocean. Maybe he is some type of water creature?" asked Remus, still cradling Harry in his arms.

"I'll go check the library," Sirius said before leaving the room. He did not want to leave, but Remus and Snape would help him as best as they could. Also if finding out what creature blood he is, would help Harry. His first choice was going through genealogy books, since he had creature blood it would show up along the Potter family lines. But this proved ineffective because of the many creatures that had been introduced into the family line. The next set of books was on various creatures, both light and dark, to look for a rough description that matched Harry. He had searched for nearly two hours until he found what he was looking for and knew he needed to get this to Snape right away. Sirius left the library, running up the stairs and did not bother to knock as he entered Harry's room.

"I found it! You need to place him in water. He's a merfolk," Sirius said panting. Both Severus and Remus just looked down at their mate in amazement, but they quickly recovered. Severus went into the bathroom and began filling the large bath, he spelled it to include a small amount of salt so it would be more natural for Harry. Remus walked in carrying Harry and stepped into the bath as he lowed him into the water. They stood back and watched with wide eyes as Harry transformed in front of them.

Harry was beautiful to them. The long silver tail had specks of grey and white throughout it, with its wispy fin that looked as delicate as a butterfly's wing. The scales became sparse as they traveled up the lightly muscled torso. There were scales along his arms and hands, moving up his neck. Only a small amount of the silvery scales lined Harry's cheekbones, highlighting them and making them look sharper. His hair became streaked with the same shade of silver as his tail. Remus and Severus could imagine how much his green eyes glowed from the amount of silver and white that surrounded their mate, making him look surreal.

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_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As Always R&R_


	3. Chapter 3

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: none for this chapter_

_Hi all. I'm happy with the positive feedback and excited that some of you who wouldn't normally read this pairing are open-minded to give it a try :) I'm currently writing chapter 10, so there is more to come. I will probably post again next week because its my last week at school before leaving for the Hols. Keep in mind for this story that the characters will be OOC, but I try to keep it as close as I can or what I believe this is how the characters would act if their lives had gone a bit better._

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For a full week, Remus and Severus took care of Harry while he was healing. They would change his water daily, feed him the necessary potions, and offer just a soothing presence. They would take turns watching over Harry so each may have time to eat, shower, and sleep. Remus would talk about his time at Hogwarts and how different Severus is when he is with Remus. Or he would just make that soft growling that resembled a purr. Severus was much quieter when he sat with Harry. He would just croon to the young man, hoping to drive away nightmares and to allow Harry time to become used to him, even if Harry was sleeping. Sirius would only step in and watch Harry when it was absolutely needed. Most of the time Sirius just kept an eye out for Dumbledore or other members of the Order. He had to keep strengthening the wards to prevent anyone from coming in to protect Harry, but at the same time, Dumbledore probably guessed where Harry was. It had been discussed that they would wait for others to see Harry after he had recovered and was able to return to Hogwarts.

Sirius had just finished checking the wards when Remus walked into the sitting room, landing onto the sofa heavily. Sirius pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses and sat next to his friend. He filled each and passed one over, both knocking back their drinks. Sirius quickly filled their glasses.

"I wish he would wake up soon Padfoot," Remus said, the heartache evident in his voice. He looked like had not slept for more than a week, even though Severus provided them with Dreamless Potion. The past week had taken its toll on everyone.

"Me too, Moony," Sirius replied, knocking back another glass full of whiskey.

"I caught him talking today," Sirius looked over at Remus with hope. "Severus. Its been getting harder on him, so he started talking to Harry."

Sirius dropped his gaze. He knew better than to hope it was Harry. Remus was too forlorn for it to have been his godson finally talking, even if it was just one word before going back to sleep. Suddenly, as Sirius's head started becoming fuzzy from the alcohol, he got an idea. "Hey Moony, the full moon is coming up right?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night. The actual Moony will probably be a wreck."

"Why don't you stay here and then Severus can go into his true form. Maybe if you're near Harry in your other forms while he is will encourage him to wake up?" Sirius looked over to Remus to see his reaction. Remus sat still for a moment before looking over to Sirius and then he looked up at the ceiling and back to Sirius. Sirius found himself with an armful of werewolf.

"Sirius you are a genius!" Remus shouted. Why did they not think of this before? They were creatures, so it would only be natural that their true selves offer more healing than sitting in a chair next to a bath.

"Naturally," Sirius said with his nose in the air causing both men to laugh.

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Meanwhile, Severus was upstairs changing Harry's water. He had only filled the bath with regular freshwater so that he could wash his young mate. He used slow, gentle strokes so as not to scare Harry in the event he woke up while Severus was washing him. Severus memorized everything about Harry while he washed him. He had felt the powerful muscles in his tail that would be excellent for swimming. He felt the softness of Harry's skin clash with the silky, but raised scales that seemed to hover over his skin. Severus's favorite was washing Harry's hair. It reminded him of his own feathers, light and soft to the touch. After Severus would wash the long tresses, he would braid it. After the washing was done, Severus changed the water to fill the tub with saltwater.

When the bath was filled again, he sat back in the chair they had brought into the bathroom and watched his young mate. Severus recently had begun to hold Harry's hand, sending small amounts of magic through the touch. He did this in hopes of helping Harry heal, but also that he would recognize Severus's magic and not fear him. Severus would not want Harry to fear him.

"Harry," Severus started. He had to clear his throat as he became nervous about talking to Harry in this state. He knew Remus did it all the time, but he was unsure of doing it himself. "I hope you can hear me so I only have to say this once. I am not a man for many words, but I hope you can forgive me in the future. I treated you horribly without knowing that you had been through so much already. And I am not even talking about Voldemort."

Severus shuddered still when he said the Dark Lord's name, but he knew both his mates now would chastise him if he continued saying the Dark Lord. "Most of it was having to play the part. I had to seem like I hated you because there were always people watching me who would have reported back to him if I seemed friendly at all towards you. Or anybody really.

"I hope that after you wake up and are well again, we can talk. Anything you want, about the past, about what's happening now between the three of us, about what might happen in the future. It does not matter. I just wish to get to know you, Harry." Severus paused as he heard the door to the bedroom shut, knowing that his mate probably heard if not most, then just enough to know he needed to be alone.

"I know it may not seem fair to you that after everything you have gone through, you now have mates. I remember how I reacted when Remus said I was his mate. I'm surprised I did not kill us. Or that the Marauders did not. I tried to deny him, even though my creature side told me we were mates, I could not believe it. Me, a Slytherin who had become a Death Eater, was supposed to be mated with a Gryffindor who was a werewolf. It seems comical now.

"But he eventually cornered me and dragged me to the Room of Requirement and kept me there for three days. Three days I had to endure him trying to woo me. I believe I broke a few of his bones trying to get away. On the third, Remus broke down. The denial had caused too much pain. Suddenly it felt like my mind had been taken over. Apparently my creature side could not watch any longer. The next thing I knew, I woke up in bed with us tangled around each other and mated.

"I was so angry I sent a stupify at Remus while he was sleeping and pushed him out of the bed. I looked over the edge of the bed and laughed. I actually laughed, I know the concept is an odd idea now, but the way he looked sprawled on the ground without his clothes with the most confused look on his face was such a sight I could not contain myself," Severus chuckled at the memory of that day, before continuing.

"Remus looked up at me when he heard me laugh, and so I think it was out of revenge or perhaps anger, I am not certain. He grabbed his own wand and pushed me out of the bed as well. It was then that I finally accepted Remus. He was not a person to be pushed around or frightened away, but was able to take every insult I ever threw at him and push right back. He may seem like a docile, old dog, but he is still every bit that seventeen year old Marauder.

"So, I hope you did hear this story because I am not sure I will ever say it again. I wanted to share it with you to let you know I am human. And to show you, you may be angry to learn you have mates, but we are still yours. We want you, and we will not give up until you accept us. Before then, at least let us protect you," Severus leaned forward and brushed his lips against Harry's hand, unable to contain himself from doing so. He became alarmed when he heard shouting coming up the stairs, but quickly became angered when he heard laughter. He dropped Harry's hand and rushed out the door, never hearing a whisper that followed him.

"Severus…"

Severus thundered down the stairs, angry that he was revealing a large part of himself to someone who could very well hate him and his mate was down here laughing with the mutt. He probably told Black about the bit Remus heard and now they were having a laugh at his expense. He slammed the door open and glared at the two who were embracing each other.

"What is going on here?! I am upstairs taking care of him, and you two are here laughing. What is so obviously hilarious that you two loose all decorum," Severus shouted. At least they had the decency to look shameful. Remus looked up at his mate and carefully approached him.

"Severus, we have a wonderful idea that might help Harry," Remus started, gauging Severus's reaction. When all he did was raise that single eyebrow, Remus continued. "Tomorrow is the full moon and we thought if I stayed here up in the room and you were there in your true form it would help Harry. Since he is in his true form, he may feel us as a stronger presence and recognize us as mates and maybe wake up sooner."

Severus stood in the doorway, thinking about what his mate said. Could being with their young mate in their true forms really help him heal? He opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly there was a splash coming from upstairs. All three men just stared up at the ceiling. It was a comical sight as they stood there staring, mouths wide open as another splash was heard. Recovering, Severus ran out of the room and up the stairs. He barely registered Remus and Sirius following him.

He stopped outside the bathroom door, listening to ensure what they heard came from behind this door. And there it was. SPLASH. He could hear water hitting the tiled floor and a quiet moan. Severus quickly pushed open the door and stepped inside. There was Harry, fully awake, leaning over the side of the tub hanging onto it. His attention was on his tail, apparently he was trying to move it or change back to his human form. He looked up when he heard the door and gasped before sinking down into the water so only his eyes were above the water.

"You're awake," Severus whispered. Harry nodded his head once before starting to dip further into the water "Wait! Don't hide."

Harry lifted his head up so only his eyes showed again. He was not sure why he was listening to Snape, but hearing that plea made him stop. Why would Snape tell him not to hide? He was just a freak, especially now that he had a fin and scales. He knew no one would want him, just like his uncle had said. As his head filled with thoughts, he did not realize he had let out a small whimper until he heard a soft crooning sound. Nor did he realize he had his hands over his ears, until he moved them and the sound became louder. It was like a bird, a single bird that came out early in the morning. It was beautiful and he wanted to listen to it more. He looked up from the water, looking for the source of the sound. He was shocked when he realized it was not a bird, but came from Snape- Severus- his mind provided. Should he be thinking Severus now? He was not sure, but he let the thought go as he continued listening to the crooning sound.

Harry folded his arms over the edge of the tub and laid his head on them as he listened to the sound. He kept his eyes on Severus- if his instincts were telling him to say Severus, then he might as well- so he could make sure the man did not come closer until he wanted him to. And it seemed Severus respected that because he stayed standing in the doorway. Sensing that he was going to be safe in the tub, Harry started closing his eyes as he got lost in the sound. He brought his head up and snapped his eyes open when the sound stopped.

"I need to ask a few things, is that alright?" Severus asked carefully. He needed to make sure Harry did not feel any pain. He received a nod from his quiet mate. "Do you have any pain?"

Harry scrunched up his face upon hearing the question. Why would Severus care if he was in pain? He probably more than deserved it. So as not to burden the man, Harry shook his head. Severus seemed to give him a look that said 'Do not lie to me' or possibly 'I know you're lying Potter'. Which ever one it was, Harry could see that Severus knew he was lying. He gave a small sigh before dipping as close to the water as he could, but still be able to talk.

"My head and my…" Harry looked at his tail, unsure of what to really call it. It was hurting because when he woke up, it surprised him to see it again and he tried to get out of the tub, but hurt himself instead. "My tail."

"Can I cast a diagnostic spell to see what is wrong?" Severus asked. He did not bother pulling out his wand until he was certain Harry would allow him to perform magic on himself. When he got a nod, he slowly pulled out his wand so Harry could follow the movements and understand what was happening. He said the spell and watched his magic roll over Harry before producing a small parchment. He looked up when he heard a small squeak come from his mate and his eyes were wide, instantly panicking Severus thinking he had done something to upset Harry.

"You.." Harry said quietly.

"Me?" Severus asked. He was unsure of what his young mate may be accusing him of, but it put him on edge.

"The magic, your magic," Harry pointed to Severus's wand. "I felt it."

"Oh," Severus said, at a loss for words. He had sent his magic to Harry while he was asleep so he would recognize Severus, so he shouldn't be as shocked as he was now, but he could not help it. He was surprised that Harry recognized his magic. To distract himself, Severus looked back at the parchment so see what was wrong with Harry. "Ahem, well it just seems that you have a mild concussion still and a slight bruise to your tail. I would like for the concussion to heal on its own, but you tail I can put on a salve?"

"Oh, um.. If you want to," Harry said softly. He had not touched his tail since that first time on his birthday, but he could not remember how it felt. So he wasn't sure if other people would want to touch it. What if it felt gross? It would only add to all of the other disgusting things about him.

"Yes, but what do you want Harry? This is about your body, you can decide what happens to it," Severus said. He was worried about causing Harry emotional pain if he were to touch Harry while he was awake. It was obvious what Dursley had done to his young mate and he did not want to make anything worse.

"But what if you don't," Harry trailed off. He was confused by Severus. Confused by his words. Never before had anyone told him he got to decide what happened to him. It was also 'this going to happen' or 'you have to do this', but never was Harry allowed to chose something. He was only willing because he had actually calmed down when he felt Severus's magic flow over him. Harry was pulled from his thoughts when Severus turned to the side and reached into a black bag. When he pulled out a jar, Harry assumed it was the bruise salve.

"May I?" Severus gestured to Harry's tail. He knew what Harry's cut-off sentence meant, but he did not want to answer it. He wanted to show Harry that his tail was beautiful. When he got a nod, Severus pulled the chair towards the end of the tub where Harry's tail. He looked up at Harry, who had sunken back into the water. "I'm going to reach in and pull your tail up so that I may reach it better. Then I will apply the salve, alright?"

Harry nodded that he understood what was going to happen and held his breath as Severus reached into the water and wrapped his hands around his tail. When the man did not recoil in disgust, Harry let out his breath in relief. He watched, amazed as Severus seemed to caress his tail as he pulled it from the water. Harry sighed as he felt the relief from the salve, but looked up quizzically at Severus when he heard a quiet chuckle.

"Better?" Severus asked and all he got was another nod. He wished there was something he could say that would get Harry to open up more. He motioned Harry forward and moved his tail sideways so Harry would get the hint and move the same way. Once Harry was settled against the side of tub with his tail hanging over the opposite side, Severus pulled the appendage onto his lap and ran his hands over it. He smirked when he heard the loud intake of breath. "Its quite mesmerizing, you know?"

"What is?" Harry asked with wide eyes, as he watched Severus continue to stroke his tail. It felt good and made him want to purr, but he refrained from doing so.

"Your tail. You should see yourself in this form, its an amazing sight," Severus said softly. He knew he was not being himself, but Severus knew Harry would not react well to his usual snarky self.

"I wouldn't know," Harry said softly. He was not sure if he wanted to see himself in this form, as Severus called it. Going by the reaction of his uncle, his 'regular' form was not amazing. He eyed Severus warily, he must have been lying trying to make Harry feel better. Having a tail was not amazing. It was not normal.

"You're never seen yourself like this?" Severus asked. He was shocked. When Severus had gone through his inheritance the first thing he had done was stand in front of the mirror for the best part of an hour. He had never considered himself good looking, but it was the newness that made him stay in front of that mirror. When Harry shook his head, Severus quickly conjured a large standing mirror and placed it in front of Harry. "Take a look."

Harry was shocked himself. His eyes seemed to glow against all of the whiteness of his scales and the streaks of it in his hair. The silver scales along his cheekbones made them look sharper. His face looked almost unforgiving which contrasted the look of his tail. It was sleek and looked powerful, but also fragile. Severus was right, he was an amazing sight, but his spirits were dampened because he knew no body would want him. Especially not when he looked like this. He looked away, no longer wanting to look at the deceiving reflection.

Harry looked up when there was a knock on the door. Severus looked pained for a brief moment before placing Harry's tail back into the water. He looked down to Harry as he stood, looking almost saddened to be leaving. After he told Harry to stay in place, did he walk out of the bathroom. Harry leaned to the side as he tried to see who was out there, but Severus blocked his view. Harry ducked back into the water as he heard voices outside.

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_A/N: As Always R&R_


	4. Chapter 4

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: none for this chapter_

_I am so sorry on the delay. Last week was finals week at uni, and I've been at home enjoying the hols with my family. But here is the next chapter, some cute fluffiness involved._

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Severus only opened the door wide enough for him to slip out, being careful to block Harry's view into the bedroom. He glared at Sirius who seemed to be the one who knocked, judging by how close to the door he was and how anxious he looked. He ignored Sirius as he went over to his mate and placed his head on Remus's shoulder, not caring that Sirius may seem see him in a brief moment of weakness. He took in a deep breath, pulling in the scent of his mate before lifting his head to speak to the two men.

"What is it?" Severus asked, his voice strained from keeping himself from yelling at Sirius for interrupting him and Harry.

"We were just worried and wanted to know what was going on," Remus replied before Sirius could, knowing that his friend would have actually started yelling at Severus for thinking he was keeping Harry away from him.

"He is timid, slightly scared, and very self-conscious about himself at the moment. But he seems comfortable around me because he recognized my magic."

"Then he should be fine around us," Sirius said as he reached for the bathroom door. He was spun around suddenly and came face to face with a very angry Severus.

"You will not enter there until I know Harry wants that. And no he should not be fine around you. He recognized me because I would send small pulses of my magic through to him while he was still in the coma. I wanted him to be used to me in some way before he woke up so it would be easier for Harry to accept me."

"But's he's my godson," Sirius whined.

"And he is my mate," Severus growled back.

"I should be able to see him. He would know I'm here because he knew the plan of Remus and I picking him up from the Dursleys."

"Severus," Remus interjected because any yelling did occur between the two. "Could you ask if he would at least see me? He is my mate also."

"I will ask him," Severus said before moving to the bathroom door. He knocked once before entering, blocking Remus's and Sirius's view of Harry within. Severus smirked when he saw Harry scramble back into the water, trying to look like he hadn't been caught trying to listen in. Severus sat back into the chair and was shocked when Harry moved back into the position they were in earlier.

"Who was that?" Harry asked. He was unable to hear through the door, but was able to tell there were two different voices compared to Severus's own deep voice.

"That was Black knocking, Remus was content to waiting for me to come out on my own. Or ask him to enter, whichever."

"Oh."

"Indeed," Severus regarded his young mate. Harry seemed to be upset about something. His face was pulled into a frown as looked down into the water. "Remus asked if he would be able to come in to see you."

"I don't know," Harry trailed off. He was not sure if Remus would like to see him like this. Yes the man was a werewolf, but werewolves were common. Whatever Harry was, he did not think so. Suddenly, Harry realized he did not know what he was and decided that was more important at the moment. "Um, what exactly am I?"

"I apologize, I had assumed you knew what you were based from your lessons, but I am forgetting you do not learn about this until your upcoming year," Severus frowned. Had he not mentioned to Harry the type of creature he was? Its possible and now seemed to be what had happened. He continued to frown as he thought about Hogwarts. He knew that Dumbledore had mostly figured out Harry was here and was unsure if he wanted Harry back at Hogwarts. "You are a merfolk."

"I'm a mermaid?!"

"Well, actually a merman," Severus replied with slight amusement in his voice.

"Could I be any more of a freak," Harry said as he buried his face in his hands. He let out a small whimper when he felt a hand pull up his head and met with Severus's eyes.

"You are not a freak, Harry. You are a beautiful creature. Do not believe what those people told you," Severus said sternly. He remembered Lily's sister and those hateful she was always spewing. He did not want his mate to believe in those words. Harry had always been confident whenever he faced Voldemort and he wanted that confidence to be part of Harry all of the time.

"Yes sir," Harry said meekly as he turned his head away from Severus. He looked back into the water after he was released.

"I apologize Harry. It was not my intention to scare you. I just do not like witnessing you putting yourself down like that. Understand?" When all Harry did was nod, Severus sighed and mentally berated himself. How could he be so stupid? "Harry would you like to hear about myself? In case you have not noticed, but I am a creature as well. One that I inherited when I turned seventeen."

"Really?" Harry looked up with wide eyes. Severus had a creature inheritance as well? It was strange knowing that the 'evil' potions professor was in fact not human. It was always a joke saying that Severus was vampire or something similar, but to actually know he was a creature as well made Harry feel a bit better. "What are you?"

"Its very rare, but I am what is called a Dark Veela," rare indeed. So rare in fact, there were no longer any pure-blooded Dark Veelas.

"What's the difference?" Sure Harry had heard of Veelas before, but never a Dark Veela. It was slightly daunting being in the same room as a Dark anything. Harry understood that the line between light and dark was in fact quite blurred, but that did not mean everything could be.

"Mostly in looks. Regular Veela tend to be blond and have white wings, where as I have dark hair and have black wings. We still croon and trill and transform into a half-bird form as our true form. But rather than having the fire abilities, we control water."

"Oh," So the 'dark' in front of the name did not actually mean dark. It was still strange to Harry because he had never heard of them. But if they were similar to regular Veela. "How come you look like you do? Veela are supposed to be beautiful aren't they?" Harry was mortified. Had he really just said to Severus? Ex-Death Eater? Harry quickly dipped down into the water, to hide from his embarrassment and from being punished by Severus.

"Yes, I forgot to take it down," Severus waved his hand in front of him while he chuckled. Yes, Veela were reported to be beautiful. Severus had a part to play at Hogwarts and so he would cast a strong glamor that not even the headmaster could break through and he explained as much as he took off the glamors. "I came here straight from Hogwarts when we picked you up and I completely forgot about it."

Harry stared as Severus took down the glamor. No longer was his hair greasy looking, but looked feathered and soft. The sickly, sallow skin tightened into smooth, pale skin that seemed to glow with health. Crooked, yellow teeth became straight and gleamed. He would never imagine a day when he considered his professor to be handsome, but he did now. And that thought made him blush.

"Better?" Severus chuckled as he watched Harry nod. "Would it be alright if Remus came in now?" He watched curiously as Harry dipped further into the water. "Harry?"

"What if he doesn't.." Harry trailed off.

"Why don't we let him in and he can tell us if he likes the new you or not?"

"Will you stay? In the chair?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Severus pulled out his wand and used it to open the door. He looked at Harry to reassure him, and when he got a nod he called out to Remus. "Remus, you can come in now."

Remus carefully walked in and shut the door behind him. He looked to Severus first to gauge how things were going in here. He was surprised when he got a smile, and also to notice his glamors were down. Remus felt bad for now only noticing his mate's glamors were up, but he loved Severus either way so it was understandable that he wouldn't notice them. Then he looked to Harry. Or at least tried to. The magnificent tail was in Severus's lap, but the rest of Harry seemed to be underwater. Save for his eyes.

"Hello Harry," Remus said quietly, smiling at his young mate. He walked over to where Severus was sitting and wrapped an arm around the man's shoulder. He watched, amused, as Harry's eyes widened at the action. "How are you?"

"Hello Remus," Harry came up far enough out of the water to say before sinking back down again. Harry was confused. He understood why he would be frightened initially with Severus because of their history, but why did he seem more frightened of Remus? He tried to listen to his instincts and they were telling him to submit, but that seemed ridiculous. Why would he submit to Remus, but when he thought about it, his instincts told him to submit to Severus as well. It seemed as if Remus was a stronger presence than Severus.

"Remus, sit on the floor and up against the tub," Severus said quietly as he watched the emotions cross over Harry's face and guessed that Harry might feel overwhelmed. Remus did as he was told and pressed his back against the tub. Severus watched with amusement as Harry put a hand against the side where Remus sat and seemed to enjoy the warmth that was spreading through and tried to sit closer, but it became awkward with his tail still in Severus's lap. He carefully placed Harry's tail back in the water and Harry's face brightened when he was able to maneuver so he sat close to Remus, but with his head pulled away from Remus so as not to touch him.

"What are you to each other?" Harry asked. Remus looked up to Severus, uncertain if they should tell Harry. It would seem he was feeling comfortable with both of them and may feel like he has no reason to be near them once he learned they were mates before they could explain he was their mate as well. Severus nodded for Remus to answer. When all Remus did was give a pleading look to the man, Severus silently chuckled and gestured for Remus to answer.

"We are mates," Remus said softly.

"Oh," Harry pushed away from the tub, away from that warmth he felt. What was he doing then? Letting Severus hold his tail, even calling him Severus in the first place and making assumptions about him. And then seeking warm from Remus. He could not be doing these things if they were together, it was not fair to them. He was about to sink into water when suddenly Remus reached a hand back and touched the water.

"Don't go," Remus said quickly. This was why he did not want to tell Harry yet. He felt Harry still in the water, following the command that Remus meant as a plea. "We want you here."

"Why would you? You have each other." Remus looked up at Severus, pleading for help.

"You're the dominant, this is your expertise. Although you're doing about as good as you did with me," Severus said to his mate. He was shocked that Remus seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Yes, but you're his dominant as well. Can you not help?" Until last week, Remus always looked to Harry as his godson, but now that he was one of his mate's, he was not sure how to act towards Harry.

"And I have gotten this far, but if you do not talk directly to Harry he will be able to figure out what we mean." Remus turned around after what Severus said to find Harry looking between them with wide eyes. Remus was horrified with how this was going. He was sure that he would scare off Harry now.

"What do you mean Severus is my dominant as well?"

"Harry, please do not become frightened," Remus glared up at Severus when he heard a snort. He turned back to Harry and rested his arms along the tub and rested his chin on them. "When you came into your inheritance, we felt a pull to you. And we came for you sooner at your relatives because we felt great pain come though to us."

"You felt," Harry trailed off. They felt what he had gone through? Then they knew what had happened and yet here they were wanting to stay close. It was clear that Remus wanted to reach out to him and Severus had already touched his tail, in such a gentle manner than Harry had ever known. "You still want.."

"Of course we still want you, Harry. Nothing could ever turn us away. Except maybe if you killed one of us, but even then the other would believe you if you felt threatened somehow," Remus said, inching closer to the tub, if it was possible. He badly wanted to reach out and touch Harry. To cup his silver lined cheeks, to run his fingers through the oddly colored hair, to stroke the beautiful tail like Severus had. He was actually jealous of his mate for being allowed to touch it.

"What am I to you, to both of you?" Harry asked softly, dreading what answer he expected. But he felt a flicked of hope at the thought that someone wanted him and was not disgusted or turned off by what they found underneath.

"Simple. You're our mate."

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_A/N: As Always R&R_


	5. Chapter 5

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: none for this chapter_

_Hello everyone, thank you all for the support of this story and I am so sorry about the delay in postings. It was not my intention. _

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"Your what?!" Remus and Severus watched with hidden amusement as Harry pulled back from the side of the tub where Remus was sitting and dive under the water. Harry was mortified. These men had just casually declared him as their mate, but they were already mated. He did not understand how he could be their mate if they already had each other.

"That went well," Severus drawled. He looked down at his impossible mate when he heard Remus give a snort and give a soft kick to the werewolf. He chuckled though when said person only growled back at him. "Its your fault."

"Actually I believe it is yours," Remus said, turning away from Severus with his nose in the air. He could still sense Harry's hand pressed against the side of the tub where he sat and was happy that Harry was not completely against the idea of being their mate.

"And how do you come to that conclusion?"

"You are the middle mate. The dominant and the submissive, you are the one who needs more grounding. If you weren't such a powerful Veela, this wouldn't be happening," Remus chuckled. In most cases of triads involving creatures, this statement was true. Although it was possible that Harry needed them most and needed the extra grounding. They would need to observe Harry's magical prowess to determine if it was indeed Harry or Severus that needed an extra mate. Not that Remus minded at all. Werewolves were all about pack and families and with two mates meant possibly more children. Already Moony was puffing out his chest in an alpha's pride with the thought of having many cubs. He knew his wolf side would act like an over-excited puppy tomorrow night at the full moon.

"I do not think that is the case Remus. And stop with that grin, I already know what you're thinking," Severus chastised his mate. Although Remus was his dominant, they had a very equal relationship outside of the bedroom that allowed him to sometimes bully his mate. It was all in good fun and made for more excitable nights in bed when Moony felt the need to 'punish' Severus. "Merlin, you are going to be impossible during the full moon."

"I know, Moony is filling with alpha pride already," Remus chuckled as Severus rolled his eyes. He settled back against the tub when he saw Severus's eyes return to the water. He had not heard Harry come up from beneath the water. "What is he doing?"

"Just staring at where his hand is," Severus sighed. "We need him back in his human form so he can eat. He probably does not want to eat in the water and risk getting his food wet."

"Croon for him?" Remus asked. Yes the crooning would calm Harry done and hopefully bring him up from beneath the water's surface, but he thoroughly enjoyed his mate's voice as well.

"And for you as well, I presume?" Severus raised an eyebrow at his mate as Remus sent up a goofy grin towards him. "Very well," and Severus began crooning ever so softly. He watched as Remus sighed and rested his head against the edge of the tub. He smiled however, when Harry poked his head up and looked up at him before turning to where Remus's head was. Harry reached out a head towards Remus's hair, but pulled back slightly before looking up to Severus once more. Severus nodded for Harry to continue what he had planned and watched as Harry began running his fingers through Remus's hair.

"Mm, keep doing that," Remus mumbled as he felt Harry's fingers scrap his scalp and fingers shift through his hair. He began growling quietly to encourage Harry to keep up the ministrations. Maybe he was the one who needed two mates because this was absolute Heaven. Harry massaging his scalp and Severus sitting next to him crooning, he began to fall asleep. He sat up when both of his mates stopped what they were doing. "Why did you stop?"

"You fell asleep Remus," Harry said softly from behind him. It was odd touching Remus like that, but it was enjoyable and hearing the soft rumblings come from the werewolf only encouraged the touch. He was shocked before when he heard Severus crooning again and so he had emerged from the water so he could hear better. "So what happens now?"

"Well, I am sure you are getting hungry by now," Severus began.

"I don't know how to change back," Harry said quietly as he looked down at his tail. How was he supposed to be someone's mate if he was stuck like this? Since he had woken up earlier, he kept in the back of his mind of how he was to gain his legs back. He obviously could not spend the rest of his life like this, he had school and apparently two mates and friends.

"All of us have problems controlling our transformations in the beginning, but I think all that is needed is to get you out of the water," Severus stood up from his chair and reached a hand out to Remus before pulling the older man up from the floor. He then turned towards Harry and leaned forward a bit. "May I help you out of the tub?" Severus watched curiously as Harry looked at him and then to Remus. Severus thought that maybe Harry would allow Remus to pull him up because he had only allowed Severus to touch him so far.

"Remus, would you like to?" Harry asked. He still felt more comfortable with the idea of only allowing Severus touching him, but if Remus was his mate then he must be jealous that Severus already had that honor. By the small smile Severus had, he understood what Harry was doing and approved of it. He looked up shyly at the werewolf when he got no answer and was meant by a look that resembled awe.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked. Moony was beside himself in his head with happiness at the joy of being able to touch and hold Harry, but his more rational mind had to be sure of what Harry wanted. It was obvious when he came in that Harry was comfortable with Severus touching him and he did not want to scare his youngest mate. When Harry only nodded, but looked away, Remus looked over to Severus. When he only received a smiled and a nod from the man, did Remus finally step forward and reach down into the water. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and tucked one under Harry's tail. Remus gasped as he felt a shock go across his skin and a growl rumbled through his chest at the sensation of the bond beginning to form. He tightened his hold on Harry when the smaller man gave a hum in pleasure.

Severus grabbed a towel from a shelf near-by before he opened the door and stood to the side to allow room for Remus to carry Harry into the bedroom. He smiled at the image of Harry laying down on the bed, looking slightly helpless in his form. It was gratifying having someone who relied so much on him and Remus to take care of him. He sat on the edge of the bed and began gently rubbing the towel across Harry's tail to dry it off in hopes that once he was dry, his legs would form again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Remus was sitting up against the head of the bed and had untied Harry's hair and was running his hand through the long strands. Harry was trying to shift onto his side to get more comfortable, but was having difficulty because of the tail so Severus helped him turn to his side. He watched as Harry scooted backwards into Remus so that the werewolf would have more access to his hair.

"See? Feels good and yet you stopped when I was enjoying it earlier," Remus teased. All he got in response from Harry was a quiet grumble as the young man fell asleep. Severus ran the towel across the sleeping man's chest, getting the last few drops of water and sat back when he felt a tingle of magic come from his young mate. He looked down as he watched with strange fascination as Harry's tail turned back into legs. However beautiful his mate was, he knew Harry would not be comfortable if he woke finding himself naked with two older men. So Severus drew his wand and dressed his young mate in some pajamas. He looked up when he heard Remus sigh in slight disappointment.

"You know he would not like being ogled at by two older men while he is sleeping," Severus said. He waved his wand once more and conjured a scrap of parchment and a quill. He quickly penned a note for Harry telling him that he and Remus were going to be in the kitchen. He set the note down beside Harry's head and stood from the bed. "Let us go make some dinner for him."

"I don't want to leave him, Severus," Remus said almost pitifully. Harry looked beautiful as he slept and he wanted to continue watching him and stroking his hair.

"Ah, but if he wakes to find himself alone he will come looking for us and wanting to be near us," Severus countered. He waved his hand for Remus to follow, who did with an annoyed sigh, and the two left to go downstairs. Severus ignored the hello from Sirius as they passed the sitting room he had gone to, and continued down to the kitchen. "What do you think he likes?" Severus asked, knowing that Remus was following behind him. He did not know what his mate's favorite food was and figured Remus, or Sirius who had followed as well, would know which foods Harry would enjoy.

"Maybe we should just stick to a meatless meal. I know some merfolk have an aversion to meat because of being related to fish. And then we can ask what Harry likes to eat," Remus thought aloud. He walked into the pantry to gather ingredients for a simple stew that could be made without any meat. "Severus get a pot ready."

"How is he Remus?" Sirius asked. When Remus had gone into Harry's bathroom, he knew he would have to leave because both veela and werewolf would be highly possessive and probably would not allow him anywhere near Harry. Sirius only hoped that Remus and Severus would not leave Grimauld right away because Harry would need him as an outsider to the triad and as a parent figure to go to with questions or fears about this new situation.

"He's sleeping right now, but I think he will accept us fairly soon," Remus said with a smile as he chopped vegetables. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Severus who was prepping the pot. He always enjoyed moments like these, feeling as though nothing was ever going wrong and just playing the domesticated life with Severus. And now they would be able to do so with another mate. Although Harry was still young, he could not wait to have cubs with him. Remus and Severus had never been able to have children before thanks to the work he did as a spy, but they knew he could sire them still and now gaining a new mate was a blessing. He stopped his chopping for a moment to reach a hand over and squeeze one of Severus's. The man looked over at Remus and gave a small lift of his lips as he squeezed back, understanding that things could only look up for them.

"That's good. I'm glad he had an opportunity to be happy for once," Sirius watched as the two cooked together, seemingly knowing what the other was about to do. He wished he could have that one day, but being an previously escaped criminal regardless of innocence hindered the ability to meet any one. But for now he was content providing a home for the creatures that had inhabited his life. Sirius looked up when two owls flew into the kitchen, dropping their letters in front of him. One was addressed to him in Dumbledore's very distinct handwriting and the other was a Gringotts letter addressed to Harry. He was surprised about the Goblins allowing the letter to be dropped off to him, but figured they must have recognized that he was Harry's legal guardian, even if he had just come into his inheritance. "I have a letter from Dumbledore and a letter for Harry from Gringotts."

"I'll read the headmaster's letter and you can read the one from Gringotts. We have not officially bonded with Harry yet, so we are unable to view the letter," Severus said as he walked away from the hob. He sat down at the table and opened the letter from the headmaster, knowing he was not going to enjoy reading it one bit.

_Sirius,_

_I have tried to contact you many times in the past week and you have not owled me back. Harry's family are extremely worried about him after you appeared to have abducted the poor boy and took him from his home. You know that it is still too dangerous for Harry to be away from his family and thus allowing the blood-wards to die around the property. There are still Death Eaters that have not been caught and you are risking the boy's life. If you do not bring him to the castle soon, I will have the Minister revoke any rights you have to Harry._

_Head my warning Sirius,_

_Albus Percival Wolfuric Brian Dumbledore,_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts for Witchcraft and Wizardry._

"Please tell me you have some good news from the Goblins? You may need their help with dealing with Dumbledore," Severus said. He handed the letter over to Remus who had become curious by his words and tried to read the letter over his shoulder.

"I do have good news, however I will be taking the headmaster to the ministry," Sirius said with a slight growl to his voice. He handed over the letter to Severus, knowing that the Goblin magic would not block it from the veela's sight because he had read it already and trusted Severus with the information that it held.

_Dear Mister Potter,_

_Your presence is requested at the Diagon Alley branch of Gringotts Bank to discuss your inheritance and lordship. Another matter of a false magical guardian must be discussed as well. Please come to the establishment with your rightful guardian and your two mates within two days._

_With regards,_

_Nuzak, Vault Manager of Potter family_

"Well that should prove to be interesting," Remus said before getting up from the table to check on dinner. "How often has Dumbledore been trying to enter here?"

"Daily. It has been difficult because while I was incarcerated, he put enough magic into the wards that on some base level they recognize him. I would need another Black to fully block him out and drive his magic out completely. Its tempting to ask Harry if we can move to one of his properties once we meet with his vault manager," Sirius said.

"I never had the opportunity to see Potter Manor, what is it like?" Severus asks curiously. He had reconciled with Lily after her and James had moved into the cottage in Godric's Hollow and so had never been to the famed, but mysterious manor. If it could accommodate all of them, then it might be worth asking Harry for use of his home.

"It is not as large as Malfoy Manor, but larger than most. It doesn't have a large dungeon like many others, so most of the cellar is a potions lab. I can't even tell you how many bedrooms it has, however there are three main wings. One the master wing for the Lord family, one for extended family and the third for guests. I can't remember if there are one or two ballrooms?"

"Two," supplied Remus.

"So two ballrooms, a formal and informal dinning halls. The forest at the back of the manor I remember Remus looking out fondly," Sirius chuckled at the memory and when Remus currently tried to smack him across his head. "Since you are his mates, I will give you permission to ask to reside at Potter Manor."

"Sirius what-" Remus was cut-off when he had the sudden knowledge of where Potter Manor was and knew that it was from Sirius giving him and Severus permission to live at the manor.

"Black, why?" Severus asked.

"You will need a place to live after you have bonded with Harry and since he is a Lord, he will need to live at a Potter residence. Pureblood custom and all of that nonsense," Sirius said, waving off their protests. "We'll go to Gringotts tomorrow."

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_A/N: So hope you all enjoyed this. As Always R&R_


	6. Chapter 6

_disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

_warning: some brief couple-ly stuff...not really sure how to describe it, snogging and some light frottage (barely there) would be closest match_

_Hi all. Sorry about the delay between not having internet at home and getting into the groove of a new semester at university takes time away from my stories and postings. Thanks for being patient._

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Harry was woken up by the smell of something amazing wafting through his room. He did not remember falling asleep and was slightly embarrassed that he was back into regular clothes, knowing that Severus or Remus had put them on. Harry unwrapped the duvet that had wrapped itself around him, effectively burying him, and looked around to see if either man had stayed with him. He was both happy and sad that both had left him, but he wasn't sure if it was his creature half that was sad or if he really was saddened that he was left alone. However, being alone now left him time to think about his recent situation.

Harry was upset about hearing he had mates that were already chosen for him. Most of his life had been out of his control. Loosing his parents and being forced to live with the Drusley's and then being chased after a madman was not a life he would have chosen. It had been hard for him to live through everything, and not many people actually cared. That is why he became attached to Sirius so quickly and easily. He was the first person to take care of Harry while treating him like a person who had been in the middle of a war. That is why he never became close to Molly Weasley. She always tried to coddle him and treat him like he was five years old and it grated on his nerves. However, having two mates who are just for him and they were older. Maybe they were meant to care for him? And they wouldn't treat him like a child because even that thought was too creepy to think about.

Harry's spirits were brightened as he thought about the good aspects of having mates and sat up finally and gave a long stretch. He looked around and found a note sitting on the pillow next to his own. He actually smiled when he noticed Severus's tiny, neat scrawl.

_Harry,_

_We're down in the kitchen waiting for you._

_-Severus_

Harry threw back the duvet and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Thankfully he and Sirius already planned on him escaping the Durley's and he recognized this as his bedroom. Therefore, the closet was filled with all different kinds of clothing. Harry wanted to make an impression on his mates and went in search of something that would match his new coloring and decided to leave his hair down, remembering how much Remus seemed to like it. Once he had the perfect outfit, Harry got dressed and headed down to the kitchen.

_**#################################################**_

"Should we wake him up? The food's ready," Remus said as he looked towards the door. Sirius had gone to his study to owl a reply to the Goblins and notifying them of their arrival in the morning. He and Severus had stayed in the kitchen to finish dinner.

"He'll be down soon," Severus said before walking up to his mate. He pushed back Remus's chair and helped himself to the werewolf's lap. They had not been real close for over a week, between having to be at Hogwarts and then everything with Harry, Severus missed the closeness they had. He gave a light trill before wrapping his arms around Remus and pulling him into a kiss. Severus hummed when the werewolf pulled him closer and deepened their kiss. After a few moments however, both pulled back. Neither felt comfortable going farther without their newest mate, but it sated the desire to be close and share an intimate moment. Severus leaned forward and nuzzled into Remus's neck while the werewolf growled lowly.

"Hello," Harry said quietly, chuckling when both men startled. "I see I'm not late for dinner."

"Hello Harry," Severus said as he stood up and turned around to face their young mate. He hoped that Harry would not get the impression they did not want him because he saw them so closely. However, he became speechless when he saw Harry. The young man was wearing white pants that hugged Harry enough to be arousing, but not show them everything and his shirt was a striking grey, silk shirt. The colors matched the streaks in his hair and were the shades to match his scales, but the most brilliant feature were his eyes, which seemed to glow from the white and grey he was wearing.

"Uh, Harry would you like some food?" Remus pushed back his chair away from Severus before standing up and gathering the dishes and serving the stew for everyone. He was nervous about what Harry might have seen and did not know how his young mate would react. Remus did not want to appear nervous in front of his mates, but the clattering dishes made it obvious to his dilemma. He stopped what he was doing and braced his hands on the counter before bowing his head trying to clam his nerves.

"Remus, Severus sit down," as Harry walked past Severus, he pushed on the man's shoulder to make him comply before nudging Remus away from the counter. He took over setting the table and getting the food served. Harry looked into the pot and smiled at the stew his mates made and went in search for some bread and butter to eat it with. He knew Severus and Remus were watching him and it made him slightly nervous, but serving dinner was a specialty to him and he did it well. "Sirius!"

"Yes?" Sirius asked as he came into the kitchen. He was on his way into the room when Harry had called for him. It was amusing to see Harry serving dinner and setting the table as Remus and Severus watched Harry with something like guilt on their faces. Normally he wouldn't be able to tell what Severus was feeling, but when he was watching Harry his emotions were very clear. Sirius decided to help Harry since the other two seemed to be incapable and began pouring drinks for everyone. "How was your nap? And I see you found the clothes I got for you, they fit okay?"

"It was good," Harry said with a chuckle. "And yes thank you the clothes. They do seem to fit very well," Harry looked to Sirius and nodded towards where Remus and Severus were clearly staring. It made him want to change into his old clothes, he felt like he was naked almost with how well the new clothes fit him, but it was oddly comforting knowing how much his mates appreciated his new look.

"That's good," Sirius laughed as he sat down at the table. "So what's gotten into these two?"

"I caught them snogging," Harry said as if it was a natural occurrence to catch Remus and Severus snogging. Before his inheritance he might have found it a bit repulsing to find two professors snogging, but now knowing they were mates already and he was being added into the mix, he expected the behavior. However, Harry was not about to admit he enjoyed watching the two. He joined in with Sirius's laughter as he watched the two flush with embarrassment.

"We're sorry Harry. We didn't mean to make you-" Remus began, but was cut off by Harry.

"You two were mates before I came into my inheritance. I honestly would find it concerning if you two weren't somewhat intimate with each other," Harry said, while blushing himself at the thought of being intimate with Remus and Severus. "So anything new happen while I was sleeping?"

"We have an appointment with Gringotts tomorrow morning," Sirius said in between bites.

"Think I'll finally get my key?" Harry asked. He was generally curious about it since he had only seen his key the one time Hagrid had taken him down to his vault. He looked up in surprise however when he heard Sirius drop his spoon and his mates shout out their surprise at his question.

"What do you mean 'finally get your key'? Are you telling me you don't have the key to at least your trust vault?" Sirius asked, anger creeping into his voice.

"Hagrid took me down to my vault when shopping for my first year and he had it with him. Never saw it again after that," Harry said softly sensing the tension in the room now.

"Well then, that will be another matter to be dealt with," Sirius grumbled as he attacked his food, not even tasting it anymore. Dinner became a quiet affair after than and soon Harry was taking bowls away to be cleaned in the sink. "Harry, we need to talk. Let Severus and Remus clean up."

"Okay," Harry wiped his hands on a towel before following Sirius to his study. He felt bad for leaving the dishes for his mates to clean up since they were the ones to cook the food. Harry sat down on the sofa where Sirius was now sitting when his godfather had patted the seat next to him. "So what's going on?"

"First I want to know how you're feeling about your inheritance and having Remus and Severus as mates?" Sirius watched as Harry's face looked away and became scrunched as he tried to put his thoughts together.

"Truthfully?" Harry saw Sirius's head give a nod from the corner of his eye. "I'm scared as hell. I know how I acted in the kitchen just now, but I wanted to be seen as confident and happy. I'm terrified. Terrified that they really don't want me to come into their relationship. Terrified that Severus still hates me even though my creature self has connected to him more than Remus, regardless that Remus and I actually liked each other before. And with my past Sirius, nothing good can come of it. After my birthday before you came for me, Vernon had beaten me because I 'looked pretty'. I'm still not sure how I don't have scars from that day."

"When you were unconscious, you're magic put you into a healing coma and we placed you into salt water so it was more natural for your body and it healed you," Sirius supplied.

"And that's another thing!" Harry shouted as he jumped up from the sofa. "I know nothing about merfolk and Severus said I will not learn about them until this year. I get the basics about merfolk going off of my other form, but other than that I know nothing! No one mentioned that mum or dad were merfolk, so why me?"

"When we go to Gringotts tomorrow we can ask for a detailed family tree to see where the blood came into contact with the Potters. But in regards to you, do you know of Sirens?"

"Sing songs to bring men with evil thoughts to their deaths. I know the simple story," Harry said as he sat back down on the sofa.

"Right. Well Sirens and merfolk and closely related. You will probably gain an affinity for water elemental magic. Merfolk are also like Sirens in which they sometimes use their voice to lure sailors and ships into shallow, rocky areas and cause a wreck. Thusly merfolk have been labeled as dark creatures," Sirius said carefully, knowing that Harry would not take lightly to being called dark. "That does not mean you are a dark person Harry. It is just in general that merfolk are dark because they are known to be vengeful and can be dangerous. However, it would be best to keep your inheritance a secret for as long as possible."

"So I'm a dark creature who is fated to be mated to two other dark creatures?" Harry laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation he found himself in.

"Harry?" Sirius prompted, waiting until Harry looked at him. "Talk with them? Give them a chance to show themselves worthy of you. Just talk first, you can set the rules of what you do and how fast you do it. Give yourself time to figure out where the three of you now fit with each other. Also let them protect you. If people find out what you are, they will be there to keep you safe and let you to be yourself."

"I'll try Sirius. I actually like the thought of having someone to care for me without treating me like a child," Harry smiled at that thought.

"Good. There is something we discussed while you slept and we were wondering after we went to Gringotts, if you would allow us to move into Potter Manor? Out of you three, you hold a lordship and you should stay at your manor. Also it will give you room unlike here, plus an added bonus of it being much brighter and cleaner than Grimmauld," Sirius chuckled slightly.

"Of course, if you want to?"

"Up to you Harry."

"I would like to," Harry said as he looked away with a pensive look on his face. He wondered if Severus would be comfortable in the home of his school nemesis, but since Sirius said they had all talk he figured that Severus had somewhat agreed.

"Why don't you go spend some time with Remus and Severus?" Sirius suggested. He watched as Harry absently nodded his head before standing up and moving towards the door. "Come here Harry," Sirius held his arms open for his godson. He knew Harry was still scared and knew he needed to reassure the boy. "It'll be alright, Harry."

"Do you think Severus would okay with living at Potter Manor?" Harry did not want to upset Severus before he even got a chance to get to know him.

"Are you kidding with the size of the potions lab? Its every potions master's wet dream," Sirius barked out a laugh at Harry's flushed face. Oh, how much fun he was going to have teasing his godson. He pushed Harry towards the door. "Now go on."

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Meanwhile in kitchen, Remus had placed his head in the crook of his arms on the table and released a groan. He had made the mistake of watching his young mate walking out of the room. He was going to kill Sirius for buying Harry such tight fitting clothing. And with being so close to the full moon, it made the tightness in his own trousers feel extremely uncomfortable. He knew if anyone were to look at him, that his eyes were the golden hue of his wolf. He still didn't look up as he heard Severus move around gathering the dishes.

"He was quite the image, wasn't he?" Severus chuckled when his mate gave another groan. Their young mate gave him the same problem, but it was tenfold for Remus because of the full moon being tomorrow. "Did you see how his hair fanned out right about the line of his trousers? Or the way his shirt matched the color of his scales?" Severus bent down to whisper in his mate's ear.

"Are you trying to kill me Severus? Or just trying to kill you and Harry," Remus said before reaching behind him and tangling his hand in Severus's hair. He turned his head and pushed his tongue into the warm mouth. Upon tasting his mate, Remus let loose a deep growl. Without breaking the kiss, Remus pushed his chair back and pulled the dark haired man into his lap. With one hand in the soft hair and one around Severus's waist, he thrust up his hips. Both men moaned at the friction and Severus pushed back down onto Remus's hard length.

"Ahem?" Both men pulled back at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Severus scrambled off Remus's lap when he noticed Harry standing in the doorway.

"Harry!" Remus said when he noticed who had interrupted them. He jumped away from his seat as if it the reason for him loosing control like that. He roughly ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. Remus couldn't meet Harry's eyes after what he was sure Harry had witnessed and mumbled out an apology.

"Can we sit and talk?" Harry gestured towards the table. He was completely embarrassed by what he had walked into and felt guilty for interrupting Severus and Remus. That feeling did not go away when Severus and Remus took seats at opposite ends of the table and had him sit in the middle. He looked down at his lap and twisted his hands nervously as he tried to think of what to say.

"Harry?" Severus questioned when his young mate did not say anything. He was worried that Harry may feel rejected now because he had seen him and Remus twice while being intimate with each other. He reached out a hand and gently touched Harry's shoulder. Severus inwardly winced when the young man flinched.

"Sorry, just a bit nervous," Harry said with a nervous laugh. If these men were supposed to be their mates, surely he would be more comfortable with them? He thought back to his bedroom and when he was in the tub and tried to think of why he felt more comfortable then. "I think we should start with just getting to know each other first, get over our old relationship. Remus you were like a second godfather and Severus you were my hated potions professor. The three of us being mates obviously changes those perspectives."

"Good idea. How about we just go on dates between the three of us? Maybe once in a while just the two of us?" Remus suggested. It was important that they are compatible as a triad, but also individually.

"Are you going to be alright being seen with us?" Severus asked.

"Actually yes, I like the idea of showing off my mates. But I may ask the same of you? It is obvious that you hide what you are and that you are with Remus. If we go to public places, people will see you as well with Remus and I," Harry countered. He saw from the corner of his eye that Remus had looked up at Severus with hope on his face. It seemed clear as Severus's gaze lowered under the scrutiny of Remus, that it was a topic they had discussed previously. It had only seemed fair that Harry question Severus about being seen with them if the man had not felt comfortable with the idea in the past when it was just him and Remus.

"All the more reason to have dates as individual couples and as a triad," Remus said. He reached over and squeezed one of Severus's hands, he understood why they had hidden their relationship. But he hoped that would all change now that the war was over.


End file.
